Freedom of Speech Under Attack in the University of Ibadan
By Leonard O’weide
6 June 2017
It is rather unfortunate that the University of Ibadan, adjudged as the “first and best” in Nigeria doesn’t give room for freedom of speech in its academic environment. According to reports gathered from the University, it has been observed that the Vice Chancellor is intolerant of opposing or divergent views and finds a way to punish students who speak against him, either by rustication or expulsion.
There is a case of a Kingsley Chimenerem, a 100 level student in the faculty of science who wrote his opinion about the Vice Chancellor and the school administration on Facebook and was expelled from the institution despite plea from several individuals. This is an authoritarian crack down on freedom of speech which shouldn’t be happening in an academic environment. Freedom of speech, open inquiry and vibrant debates are critical components of an academic institution and the University of Ibadan should not be an exception.
Philip Olatinwo, a 300 Level student of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine was also expelled for requesting for fair-hearing and chance to present witnesses that could exonerate him from the offense levelled against him. Others were also expelled over a case that was concluded ‘not guilty’ even by the Nigerian Police. Many more were rusticated for several semesters because of one case or the other that can be traced to these students exercising their fundamental human rights of freedom of speech.
This attack on free speech got to a climax on the 27th of May, 2017 when students took to the streets of the campus clamouring for improvement in living conditions in the hostels and for the release of Identity Cards which have been paid for by the students but have not been issued for over 2 sessions. The Students’ General Meeting, also known as “Congress” concluded that the resolution of the previous congress, which was ‘no ID Card, No Exams’ still stands; and to put it to the school authority that they meant business, the school gate should be locked down. But in the wisdom of the President of the Students’ Union, Comrade Ojo Aderemi, and the Speaker of the Students’ Representative Council (SRC), Rt. Hon. Asiwaju Ibrahim, they pleaded with the Congress to wait a little more, till Monday 29th May, 2017.
On the 29th of May, the Students waited for hours to be addressed by the Vice Chancellor of the school who had promised a night before to come and address them in the morning. The VC never showed up, neither did he pick his phone calls nor responded to messages sent to him. The students resolved to embark on a peaceful freedom walk to the school’s main gate to make their grievances public. They did this despite a threat from the Oyo State Commissioner of Police threatening to kill students and promised the Students’ Union president that He will pick dead bodies if they march for any protest. Sequel to this threat from the CP, the already agitated students blocked a side of the road, allowing traffic to flow on the other side to publicize their grievances.
The VC responded by going to the school’s radio station to announce the closure of the school, and commanded students to leave the school before 6pm same day. This action was taken without the approval of the school’s senate. On the 30th May, shockingly, the Senate was called for an emergency meeting and it was decided that the Students’ Union representing over 30,000 students be suspended on the basis of purported insult of the VC by the President of the Students Union in his Inaugural Speech.
This is a callous repression of freedom of speech in a University that should be a guiding headlight for many others that look up to it in and outside Nigeria. Ever since, many actions and reactions have filled the terrain of University of Ibadan and many articles have been written by students and alumni of the school condemning the action of the VC.
As students await the resolutions of this problem and the reopening and reinstatement of the Students’ Union in the Ivory Tower, I hope we can look forward to having a university where freedom of speech is held sacred.
Leonard is a Senior Local Coordinator at ASFL and Editor-in-Chief of the Free Speech Initiative.
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